How to find out which application was reset by Windows 10. Getting rid of an error in the settings
The Windows 10 operating system contains more than two dozen universal applications that do not always work as users expect them to. Any of these applications can (often even for no apparent reason) begin to malfunction, close unexpectedly, freeze, etc.
Previously, to solve problems with applications in Windows 10, it was proposed to use an undocumented option, namely, /reinstall applications using PowerShell. Often this method really helps, but in some cases.
With the Anniversary update, Microsoft is finally paying attention to this. Now, apps that won't open or work as expected can be reset without using PowerShell or other tools that can be intimidating. The reset feature is now part of the Settings menu.
What does the reset function do?
According to Microsoft, a reset wipes out all user data in the app, including accounts, settings, and other saved data, giving the app a "fresh start." In most cases, a reset should fix any issues that caused a particular app to stop working.
How to reset an app on Windows 10
This is very easy to do: launch the Settings application, go to the System section and select Apps & Features. Then check the app that is not working and click on the "Advanced options" link.
Finally, once you are in the Reset App and Storage Usage section, click on the Reset button and then click on Reset again.
By the way, you can try to bring the Windows Store back to life using the same method if it also stops opening.
What to do if you don't have a reset function?
This could be for one of two reasons:
- You are using a previous version of Windows 10: Resetting the application will only be available after installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
- The app you're trying to reset doesn't support this feature: Yes, according to Microsoft, third-party apps won't support the reset feature until their developers release an update to do so.
Have a great day!
The standard Photos application in Windows 10 copes well with the tasks assigned to it, however, many users prefer third-party graphics viewers to it. But after installing a third-party viewer, they start to get bothered by the notification “ Default app reset", appearing hourly in the right corner of the screen. It indicates that the program caused problems with the settings of the standard application for a certain file format, so the system reset to this very standard application.
How to fix the "Standard app has been reset" error on Windows 10
What does this mean and can the error be corrected? All this can be solved and very simply. The reason for the error is as follows. Unlike Windows 8.1 and earlier versions, Windows 10 treats third-party applications designed to view file types supported by the system out of the box a little differently. When you install a third-party viewer to replace, say, the Photos app, it modifies the registry settings to become the default image viewer. Windows 10 sees this and, as if emphasizing the importance of the standard application, resets the settings made by a third-party program to their original values.
That is, all your pictures will again be opened by the Photos application. However, it is not only Windows itself that is to blame for this. Such a reaction is often caused by third-party programs themselves that are not quite properly adapted to Windows 10, so updating them to the latest releases can be a solution to the problem. If you already have the latest version installed, set the default tool yourself. By calling “Settings” from the Start menu, go to the “Default Applications” section, scroll down the window a little and click “Set defaults...”.
In the next window, find in the list the tool with which you want to open the file format you need, click on it and click the “Manage” button.
The File Type and Protocol Mapping window opens.
Click on the name of the application next to the selected format and select from the list that appears the program whose settings Windows 10 resets. Do the same with other formats.
That's all, now the notification about resetting the standard application should no longer bother you.
Windows developers continue to improve one of the most popular operating systems. Updates and patches are released regularly, functionality is updated, and new functions are added. But even now, the operating system still has errors and annoying glitches, despite constant updates. Quite a lot of users encounter the “Standard app has been reset” error in Windows 10, which was especially common in earlier versions of the operating system.
Today we will look at the reasons for this error and several options for fixing it.
What is a default app in Windows 10?
For a comfortable user experience, the operating system provides standard applications to open the most common types of files and links. By default, an email address is opened through the Mail application, map files through the program of the same name, and the default music player is the Groove Music application. Also, the Photos and Movies & TV apps allow you to view image and video files, and Internet links open through the Edge browser.
After installing any other program, for example, the Chrome browser or a third-party video player, links and video files begin to open through them.
Reasons for the error
There are several reasons for this error to occur.
- The program that was installed to replace the standard one could change the settings on the computer in the same way as was done in earlier versions of the Windows family. The new version uses a different method, and not all program developers had time to update their programs when the operating system was released.
- A system update may set program settings to default, or stop supporting outdated programs.
- A similar error also appears as a result of a basic failure.
How to fix the "Default application has been reset" error?
There are several ways to solve this error. But before you take any serious actions, you should install the latest operating system updates and update the faulty program by simply downloading the latest version from the developer’s website.
Getting rid of errors in settings
The easiest way is to manually set the default application. To do this, go to the operating system settings. You can do this through the menu Start or by pressing the keys Win and I. If you simply turn off the notification without correcting the error, the message will appear again soon.
Troubleshooting using the registry
If updating and configuring the system did not solve the problem, you can simply try
According to official statements from Redmond, this behavior was caused by a bug that was fixed with the release of the cumulative update KB3140743.
The bug is confirmed only in version 1511
Cumulative update KB3135173 resulted in app settings being reset to default, which Microsoft confirmed in an official announcement on February 25th. According to the company, the error is caused by registry changes that are responsible for processing applications.
Redmond's statement states: “We have observed behavior of some programs being installed as default programs in unsupported ways by deleting or corrupting associated registry values. Update KB3135173 resolves this issue and resets default applications to their original settings before registry keys were deleted or corrupted.”
“We have worked with some third-party application developers, so the incorrect behavior has been corrected in the latest versions of the applications. If a user changes default application settings using a supported method, the registry will not be broken and the user's settings will be preserved."
The latest cumulative update for Windows 10 1511 fixes this issue, according to the changelog on the Microsoft website.
The item “Fixed resetting applications to default when registry keys are deleted and damaged, displaying a corruption alert” is listed in the list of changes.
KB3140743 is a cumulative update released only for devices running Windows 10 version 1511. Therefore, if you encountered a similar issue on the RTM build (10240), the patch is not yet available. Most likely, this problem will not occur on RTM versions, because KB3135173 was intended only for Windows 10 version 1511.